"While there may be short-term solutions, what we need to seek is a long-term strategy that confronts some of the deeper issues plaguing the game."

Ken Klavon files from Pinehurst on Jim Hyler taking over as USGA President. Hyler emphasized the role of golf courses and the environment as a focus on his term.

“With the recent economic downturn, our focus on these critical issues has sharpened. If we are not careful, high construction costs, soaring maintenance budgets and declining membership rosters will threaten the survival of many courses and clubs,” he said. “In my opinion, many of the standards by which we construct and maintain our courses have become, quite simply, unsustainable. While there may be short-term solutions, what we need to seek is a long-term strategy that confronts some of the deeper issues plaguing the game.

“When it comes to the issue that is perhaps of greatest concern to golf’s future – namely, water – we we must re-set the way that we look at golf courses.”

You can read Hyler's address to the middle-initial set here.

Meanwhile Jim Vernon bid farewell and offered these highlights:

During his presidency, Vernon said there were too many special moments, but settled on two.

“The [U.S. Open ] playoff at Torrey Pines and being with the last group. The 19th hole and then handing the trophy to Tiger Woods,” said Vernon. “The Walker Cup Match last year, that was really something special. Presenting the cup to the Americans and how [USA captain] Buddy Marucci instituted a strategy to get that team to play. I’m in awe of Buddy.”

Easy there, let's not inflate BM's ego any more than necessary.

Ryan Herrington reports that the USGA announced to the shareholders that they turned a profit. Shares closed higher in after hours trading.

In what could only be described as a trying year financially for the golf industry, the USGA managed to make a profit of $7.8 million in 2009 on revenues of $144 million, according to the financial information published in its annual report released this week on the eve of the USGA annual meeting

"We went through a very detailed strategic budgeting process for 2009 and really refocused our efforts more around the core mission of the organization," incoming USGA president Jim Hyler recently told Golf World. "In a few cases revenue-wise we did a little better than we thought. At the U.S. Open, even with all the things we had to endure [at Bethpage], we were able to reduce our expenses there below budgeted amounts and all of that resulted in us have a very good year."

In 2008, the USGA made a profit of just $67,000.

Amazing what happens when the President doesn't have a Citation Jet Card.